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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26351035">Sparring Practice</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SassySnowperson/pseuds/SassySnowperson'>SassySnowperson</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Old Guard (Movie 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(Actually significantly LESS violent than canon), (In the author's heart it's Pre-Slash), Banter, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Nile Freeman-centric, POV Nile Freeman, Sparring</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:46:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,887</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26351035</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SassySnowperson/pseuds/SassySnowperson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After Andy loses her immortality, Joe and Nicky aren't sure exactly how to treat her. Nile does not have the same problem.</p>
<p><em>"Out of all of us here, who's spent the last few years sparring with mortal people just about every day without killing them?" Nile raised her own hand. "Right. So you two go dance sword ballet or whatever it is, and Andy and I are going to punch the shit out of each other.</em>"</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Andy | Andromache of Scythia &amp; Nile Freeman</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>159</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>We Die Like Fen 4: We Lived to Die Afen</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Sparring Practice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/shamebucket/gifts">shamebucket</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for shamebucket for We Die Like Fen 4. </p>
<p>Shamebucket, you generously put in your prompts that you wanted your author to write whatever iddy thing was close to their heart. I've been looking for an excuse to write this fic since The Old Guard came out on Netflix, so I took you up on this offer. I have no idea if this is ANYWHERE near your interests, but please rest assured that I had a wonderful time writing it, and thank you for the opportunity :D</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I gotta say, this is the coolest thing I've ever seen." Nile tilted the sword one way, and then another, marvelling at the light filtering in through the windows as it reflected off the blade. They were in a safehouse somewhere in the Netherlands, it was a rare sunny day, and the blade cast reflected light along the walls of the large empty room they had designated a sparring room. </p>
<p>"Wait until we find you a blade built for your proportions. That doesn't feel <em>cool</em>, it feels like finding an extension of yourself," Joe said stepping forward. "There's a smith in Switzerland that does good work. We could go to him." </p>
<p>"Not the Swiss," Nicky called from across the room, where he was stripping off a sweater to square up with Andy. "The one family in Hubei provence—"</p>
<p>"We haven't been there in over a hundred years," Joe called back, "We don't know if their craftsmanship is still—" </p>
<p>Nile grinned as she watched them bicker back and forth, locking eyes with Andy. Andy shook her head. </p>
<p>"What's your take?" Nile asked, cutting across a debate about a swordmaker in Chile. </p>
<p>"That it depends on your fighting style. Learn the basics, then choose your blade. Also, Nicky should stop fighting with words, and start actually fighting." Angling back toward Nicky, she said, "Come on, that surgeon Coply hired finally cleared me for activity. Lets dance." </p>
<p>Nicky rolled his head one way and the other, turning back to Andy. Nile turned her attention back to Joe. "Alright. What's the plan?" </p>
<p>"It's going to be very boring at first," Joe said with a smile. </p>
<p>"Drilling?" Nile asked with a mock sigh of dismay. </p>
<p>"Drilling," Joe affirmed. </p>
<p>Nile smiled again. "Don't worry. I understand the idea of needing to build good habits. What's first?"</p>
<p>Joe took her through a series of movements, correcting her hold and her swings. Once he felt she had it well enough, he ordered her to repeat it, and while she practiced, he stood in front of her and began a biology lesson on all the major veins and arteries in the human body. "Everyone knows the jugular," he started, tapping his neck as Nile felt her arm trembling with the effort of keeping the sword steady, "and it's a good one, but people protect their neck when fighting." </p>
<p>Between the biology lesson and the exhausting slow, deliberate movements, Nile quickly lost track of anything else happening in the room. It wasn't until shouting broke through her concentration that Nile turned to see Andy and Nicky facing off, both wearing matching stubborn looks on their faces. </p>
<p>"Just fucking <em>hit</em> me," Andy snarled, stepping closer to Nicky. </p>
<p>Joe and Nile looked at each other, and Nile lowered the sword, massaging her aching bicep as she turned to watch Andy. </p>
<p>Nicky lifted his chin, not flinching back, but not moving to meet her, either. "I'm not going to hurt you, boss. You don't—" Nicky did break then, taking a step back and looking away, in obvious distress. </p>
<p>In a rush, Nile understood the problem. How many times had they sparred without any fear of death? How many times had Andy killed him? How many times had he killed Andy, always trusting Andy'd come back. </p>
<p>Nile blinked, abruptly wondering if any of them had any real experience trying to fight someone and <em>not</em> kill them. They all knew nonlethal takedowns, Nile was sure, but they didn't work so well when you were facing a brutally fast trained fighter. </p>
<p>Joe was walking over to them, and Nile joined a second later, arriving at the little group just in time to hear Joe say, "Hey, boss," in his gentlest voice. </p>
<p>Nile bit down a laugh. No way that was going to work. </p>
<p>"I'm not made of glass," Andy snarled, rounding on him, and Nile gave herself a mental point for her correct read of Andy. </p>
<p>Joe raised his hands, stepping back a set. "I never said you were. But think about it, if Nicky kills you, he'd have to live with that for the rest of—" </p>
<p>"I'm not so fragile that some sparring is going  to—"</p>
<p>"Okay," Nile broke in, stepping a little closer. "We don't need to do this." She turned, handing the sword to Nicky, and then clapped her hands on his shoulders. She pivoted them both in a circle, so Nile was standing in front of Andy, and Nicky was next to Joe. "New plan, Joe and Nicky will do whatever they want to do, and I'm with Andy." </p>
<p>Nicky smiled down at the sword, then back up at her. "I don't think that's a good idea. You're skilled, but still very young, and Andy needs—" </p>
<p>"You don't get to say what I need," Andy broke in.  </p>
<p>"You could hurt—" Joe tried to start, but he obediently went quiet when Nile held up her hand. </p>
<p>"Joe, listen, I'm gonna hurt her. I'm just going to do it in the sort of way that heals after a few days. Because that's what sparring is." </p>
<p>"I don't doubt that you—" Nicky started. </p>
<p>"And the other thing!" Nile cut him off, mostly because she was a little worried Andy was going to start stabbing people if they didn't cut it out with the calm, gentle voices. "Out of all of us here, which of us have spent the last few years being extensively trained in how to spar with people without killing them?" Nile raised her own hand. "Right. So you two go dance sword ballet or whatever it is, and Andy and I are going to punch the shit out of each other."</p>
<p>Joe and Nicky exchanged a Look. "Nile…" </p>
<p>"You're going to have to land a hit on me first," Andy said, instead of waiting for whatever Joe and Nicky had to say. She fell back into a loose defensive position, and Nile grinned. </p>
<p>"Well I've done that before, haven't I?" Nile slid her own foot back, mirroring Andy. </p>
<p>"I was going easy on you," Andy informed her.</p>
<p>"You broke my arm. And my leg," Nile pointed out. </p>
<p>"Like I said. Easy. I'll do worse this time—I'm the mortal one, you've got to learn how to fight through pain." Andy shifted a little to the right. </p>
<p>Nile mirrored the movement, waiting for a strike. "I'm a Marine. You think I don't know pain?" </p>
<p>"Give it a thousand years or so, then I'll actually trust that you know what you're talking about," Andy's grin was turning wild. It was the smile Nile had caught flashes of when they'd fought before, back when she was too full of rage at the unfairness to appreciate how alive it made Andy's face. </p>
<p>"Uh, boss?" Joe tried again.  </p>
<p>"They're not listening to us," Nicky said, sounding defeated. </p>
<p>And Nile really wasn't anymore, she was just looking at Andy, at her body, trying to figure out where the first strike would come from. </p>
<p>Andy flashed out with her left leg, going for the knee, Nile blocked with her heel, and they were off. </p>
<p>Nile had always loved sparring, loved pitting herself against someone else. She liked competence, she liked feeling strong, and had since her mom enrolled her and her brother in a self-defense program offered by the local Boys and Girls Club. She had loved it enough to hustle for a scholarship to the local ju jitsu program. </p>
<p>That history served her well when she got a grip on Andy's arm, threw her hip against Andy's pelvis, and swung Andy over her shoulder so she landed hard on the floor. Nile scrambled, trying to get Andy's arms locked down, but Andy twisted—too fast, every time Nile thought she understood how fast Andy was she got <em>faster</em>—and lunged. With a sickening crack Nile's knee crumpled and she dropped. </p>
<p>"Damn it, fuck!" Nile shouted, but already her brain was starting to rewire pain, from something that required her utmost attention to a passing note, something that would fix itself if given a little bit of time. She got back on her feet, bounced a little to test her newly-healed knee, and turned to Andy. </p>
<p>Andy smiled, warm and approving. "Good." </p>
<p>Nile felt a hot lick of pleasure run through her at the approval, and she threw herself at Andy again. </p>
<p>Two hours later, Andy hadn't actually killed her, but had broken three ribs, five elbows, two femurs, and Nile's fucking <em>spine</em> which finally made Nile tap out for the day. She laid on the floor breathing hard, waiting for feeling to come back into her legs. The pain was one thing, the temporary paralysis was harder to cope with. "How're you?" she asked Andy hoarsely, looking for something to focus on besides the way she couldn't feel her legs. </p>
<p>Andy leaned over, and flashed Nile one of those fierce grins. It was a gorgeous smile, and it—well, it made Nile understand why people had worshipped her, she had to admit, with an apologetic thought toward Jesus. </p>
<p>"Bruised," Andy said, lifting her tank top to reveal muscled abs covered in blue-green-purpling marks. </p>
<p>With a rush, Nile's nerves re-knit themselves, and a bright explosion of tingles raced down both her legs. "Ah,' she hissed, then forced herself to roll over and hike her way back to her feet. She was a little wobbly as she stood, and Andy reached out an arm to steady her, letting the tank top fall again. </p>
<p>"You're very good," Andy said again, like she had back in the plane. Back then, Nile had been too angry and confused to understand the weight of that compliment. Now, it rolled over her as she understood what Andy was saying. You are good. You will be good. The world is in good hands with you. </p>
<p>"You too," Nile said with a smile. Then she reached out and poked Andy's jaw. "I managed to give you a pretty decent shiner." </p>
<p>Andy rubbed at it. "I forgot how annoying bruises are." </p>
<p>Nile grinned. "You can ice it! The novelty." She waved her hands in a little excited wave. </p>
<p>Andy reached out and gently slapped Nile's temple. "Brat." </p>
<p>"Give it a day to heal, I'll mess you up again the day after tomorrow," Nile promised. </p>
<p>Andy's face closed off again, that mulish determination she had on her face when she faced off with Nicky back in full force. "I don't need a rest." </p>
<p>"Maybe I do, did you think of that?" Nile snapped back, grabbing Andy's elbow and walking toward the sparring room's exit. "Maybe I want a day where I don't break any bones, hm?" </p>
<p>Nile could feel Andy relax, and after a second, laugh. "No discipline." </p>
<p>"That's me," Nile said. She looked around the room. "We lost Joe and Nicky. I guess they finally decided to trust me not to kill you. I'll practice sword forms tomorrow." </p>
<p>"Nicky's probably channelling his worry into cooking," Andy said.</p>
<p>"Mmm," Nile said, as her stomach gave a little growl. "Delicious coping mechanism, right there." </p>
<p>"Hey," Andy asked as she pushed open the door out of the sparring room. She paused, gave Nile an assessing once-over, then seemed to reach a decision. She gave a small smile. "Want to learn how to use an axe?" </p>
<p>"<em>Yes</em>," Nile said, as they made their way toward the kitchen. "Absolutely yes." </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The airplane scene was just, really good for me, you know? Hope you all enjoyed reading!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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